Tobacco cleaning machine



June 2 1931. R. SA\MMETH' 1,308,438

" TOBACCO CLEANING MACHINE I Filed Oct. 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 amounted,

June 2, 1931. R. SAMMETH TOBACCO CLEANING MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 16, 1930 I.R.Samme}7z-- m Stigma June 2, 1931. R. SAMMETH 1,808,438

TO BACCO CLEANING MACHINE Filed Oct. 16, 1930 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I awue'wtoz .Z: R.SammeZ/2 of suction heads Patented June 2, 1931 noRrH CAROLINA TOBACCO CLEANING MACHINE 7 Application filed October 18,1930. Serial N 0. 489,150.

Inpreparing tobacco leaves for the manufacture of cigars, cigarettes and chewing tobacco, the hands of leaves after curing, are carried by an endless conveyor through a a so-called re-dryer, effecting drying of the leaves to a predetermined extent so that whenthey are moistened to prevent crumbling during manufacture, it may be insured that such moistening will be uniform. It is now customary to take the leaves as they come from storage and curing houses, hogsheads or the like, and direct them through the re-dryer, but much better products can be obtained if all dust be removed'from the tobacco hands before passing them through the re-drying machine. It is hence one'object, of my invention to provide a novel machine for removing all dust from the hands of tobacco before they enter theredryer. A further object is to provide said machine with means for first separating and upwardly moving the leaves of the sus: pended hands so as to blow out dust which could not otherwisebe reached, .and to pro- I vide additional means for then blowingthe leaves again downwardly,not only restoring them to orderly positions for passage through the re-dryer, but blowing' ofi all remaining dust. g

A. still further object is to provide a"machine of the. class above mentioned, which may be rather easily and inexpensively manufactured and marketed, yet one which will be highly eflicient and durable.

5 ,With the foregoing in view, the invention resides in the novel subject matter hereinafterdescribed and claimed, description .beingaccomplished by reference tothe accompanying drawings. 7 Fig. l is a sideelevation partly; in section. Fig. 2:'is an end elevation partly in section, the conveyor-guiding sprockets and their lshaftsbeingomitted; r F ig. 3 is a plan view. of one-of the'gangs of suction. heads which remove the 1 dust from the vicinity of the .pathnlong which the hands of tobacco are conducted by the conveying means. I v

Fig 4 is: an edge elevation of the shown in Fig.3. b

Fig.5 is a side elevation of one ofthe aird rectlng nozzles.

PATENT- emcee LEWIS R. SAMMETH, or eoLn'sBono,

Fig. 6 is a vertical longitudinal section through the nozzleshown in Fig. 5.,

F ig, 7 is a plan view of the same nozzle. Figs. 8 and 9 are vertical transverse sectional. views on lines .8 8 and-9 9 respectively of Fig. 6.

The machine is shown at the inlet end of a conventional re-dryer 10, and two sets of track-supported conveying chains 1l, forming parts of said re-dryer, also form parts of said machine, these chainsbeing trained around shaft-carried sprockets 12, suitably located.' The chains 1-1 embody the usual hooks 13 for supporting the transverse rods 14 upon whichthe hands of tobacco 15 are suspended, the rods with the hands of tobaccobeing placed upon the chains at the inlet end E of the machine, being carried throughthe present dusting--machine and the re-dryer 10, by said-chains, and removed y han'dat the delivery end of said re-dryer. The machine herein disclosed; embodies two "units U and U, both being mounted upona suitable frame F. With certain exceptions hereinafter described, these units are identical and hence a description of the unit U will sufiice for both. I This unit embodies a transverse horizontally elongated nozzle 16, disposed under the path along which the tobacco hands 15 are conveyed,

said nozzle l6cbeing near the receiving end gang of suction heads 17 which are instrumental, in carrylng off the I dust blown from the tobacco leaves.

Spaced toward'the'delivery end of the machine, from the nozzle-l6, and dis osed above the path along which the to acco hands: are conveyed, is another transverse horizontally elongated nozzle,l8.c After the tobacco, leaves havebeen blown upwardly V which are the nozzles 16 and 18 respectively,

hau'sbfan32. Thus,

by the blast of air from the nozzle 16, the

blast of air from the nozzle 18 again blows said leaves downwardly into orderly fashion, as illustrated in Fig. 1, said blast from the nozzle 18 blowing 01f all remaining dust. Under this nozzle 18 and below the path along which the tobacco hands are carried, is a second gang of suction heads 19 instrumental incarrying off thedust blown downwardly-by the blast of air; from said nozzle 18. i Air-conducting pipes 20 and 121 leadto these pipes of the unit U being supplied with-air under pressure by means of a blower 22, while the corresponding pipes of the unit U, are fed from another blower 22,. Both of these blowersare driven by pulleys and belting 28 or other desired means, from a main drive shaft 24, the latter being in turn driven by an electricmotor 25, through the instrumentality of a belt and pulleys 26, or other desired driving connection.

A. horizontal suction pipe 27 is connected 2 by branch pipes 28.with the suction heads 17 of the two units U and U, and another suction pipe 29 is connected by branches 30 with the suction heads 19 of said units U and U'., The suction pipes 27 and 28 communicate with a suction manifold 31 which in turn connnunicateswith an exhaust'fan 32, this fan being driven'from the shaft 24,- by a belt 38,-and pulleys, or by other appropriate means. Y Y

*Itwill be seen from'the'above that asthe hands of tobacco advance in the direction of the arrow A of Fig. 1, the blast of air from the nozzle 16-will upwardly blow the tobacco leaves and effectively blow out all dust within the hands, this dust being carried olf through the suction heads 17 piping 285 27-81 and the exhaust fan 32. As the hands of tobacco reach a position under the nozzle 18, the air blast from this nozzle again'blowsthe tobacco; leaves downwardly into orderly fashion, and at the same time all "remaining dust is blown fromsaid leaves, this dust being carried oft by the suction heads 19', thepiping 30-29- 31 and the exthe leaves will pass on to'the re-dryer in a thoroughly dusted condition and evenfthough the leaves are again blown downwardly by the blast from the nozzle 19, they will not be in suchcompact relation as when initially fed into the machine. On the contrary they are in more or nus ways,

less loose condition with regard to each other, so that the re-dryer may more effectively perform its work. 'The constructions of the suction heads and the air nozzles may-of course vary in numerficiei1t;and maybe followed if desired. All heads may be iden tical and? in Figs. 3 and l, I have detailed but the structures shown are efoutstanding flanges 35 which may be secured iipon loiigitudinal bars- 36 forming parts of t e meE.

All of the nozzles 16 and 18 are preferably of. the. same construction, and in Figs. 5 to 9, I have detailed one of said nozzles 16. \Vhilethis nozzle is horizontally elongated, its bottom is preferablv inclined somewhat as-shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and the dimen- 'sion of saidnozzle measured transversely of its lengthin a-horizontal direction, preferably decreases gradually away from the pipe 20. The general shape of the n'ozzlemay be polygonal in transverse section but it preferably embodies two longitudinal upwardly converging-walls 37, between the upper edges of which, the air outlet throat 38 exists. At the end ofthis throat toward the pipe 20, there is preferably an end wall 39 declining toward said pipe 20 and connectingthe side walls 37.

i Thenovel construction above describedinsures uniform discharge of air throughout itsllength so that the best results'are obtaina e.

The suctioniheads" 191nay be considered simply as the Similarly, fnoz'zle 18 is virtually nozzle 16 inverted. 7 Y

It Will'be seen from 'th'e foregoing that a. novel ma advantageous machine" has been provided, and while the details shown may All of these heads are secured 17 will suction heads -17 inverted.

be considered as preferred, it isto be understood that withinthe scope of the invention as claimed, numerous variations ,may'" be made. Morever, in the treatinent'of tobacco hands, the method step of directing a blast of air endwise intofthe leafy ends of the hands for the purpose explained, may well becarried out in ways other than the specific manner herein described. This is also true with regard tothe additional step of directing "an air blast *endwise against the butt end'sof the hands after subjecting the'latter to the first blast. 5

Iclaim:"* f 1 1. In a cleaning machi'ne'f'or hands of tobacco, a conveyor for the tobacco hands, and means for directing an air blast endwise into the leafy ,ends of said tobacco hands while the-latter are being conveyed by said-conveyor; v 5

2. In a cleaning machine for'hands of tobacco, a conveyor for the. tobacco hands, meanslfor 'directing' an air blast endwise into the leafy ends of' 'said hands while the latter are being conveyed by said conveyor, and means for directing a blast of air endwise against the butt ends of the hands after the latter have left the first named means.

3. In a cleaning machine for hands of tobacco, a conveyor having means for suspending the tobacco hands with their butts presented upwardly, means under the path along which the hands are conveyed for directing an upward blast of air to separate and raise the tobacco leaves and blow dust therefrom, an additional means over said path for directing a downward blast of air to again lower the leaves and blow remaining dust therefrom.

4. A structure as specified in claim 3; together with suction means over said first named air directing means and path, and additional suction means under said additional air directing means, said suction means being adapted to conduct the removed dust from the vicinity of the aforesaid path.

5. In a cleaning machine for hands of to bacco, a conveyor having means for suspending the tobacco hands with their butts presented upwardly, a transverse horizontally elongated air discharge nozzle under the path along which the tobacco hands are conveyed, said nozzle being adapted to discharge an upward blast of air to separate and raise the tobacco leaves and blow dust V therefrom, a second transverse horizontally a said suction heads to elongated air discharge nozzle above said path and disposed, between the first named nozzle and the delivery end of the machine, said second nozzle being adapted to discharge a downward blast of air to again lower the tobacco leaves and blow remaining dust therefrom, and air blast conducting passa es leading to said nozzles.

K structure as specified in claim 5 together with a transverse gang of suction heads over the first named nozzle and said path, an additional transverse gang of suction heads under said path and said second nozzle, and suction passages leading from conduct the removed dust to a remote point.

7. In a method of treating tobacco hands, the step of directing a blast of air endwise into the leafy ends ofthe hands to separate the leaves and blow out dust. V

8. In a method of treating tobacco hands, the step of directing a blast of air endwise into the leafy ends of the hands to separate dust, and the addian air blast endwise the hands after subthe leaves and blow out tional step of directing against the butt ends of 'jecting the latter to the first blast, thereby restoring the leaves to orderly fashion, and blowlng ofi' remaining dust.

In testimony whereof aflix my signature.

LEWIS R. SAMMETH. 

